A Multi-scale Perspective on Drought Monitoring and Assessment for the Pearl River Basin

It is accepted that climate change has a great impact on water cycle and regional water balance,and thus it would change the formation and evolution conditions of drought in some degree. By using data at 42 meteorological stations of the Pearl River Basin,the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index（ SPEI） at different time scales was calculated. Based on the SPEIs of 1- 12 months,a newly proposed index for drought--Joint Drought Index（ JDI） was established under the multi-scale perspective through the copula function. Since short-term SPEIs are essential for the identification of emerging droughts and long-term SPEIs are useful for prolonged droughts,the JDI,which integrates all the usefull informations of drought and can thus form an overall judgement,is superior than the single SPEI in drought monitoring. By the forcast evaluation system and comparison to the actual drought,the accuracy and effectiveness of JDI in drought monitoring were verified. In general,JDI can be used as a new ideal index for future drought monitoring and assessment. Additionly,we analyzed the spatio-temperal characteristics of drought across the Pearl River Basin using the JDI. The results indicate that mild drought was the most frequent drought occurred in the Pearl River Basin over the past half century,and moderate drought followed. Severe drought and extreme drought would appear occasionally while exceptional drought could hardly be found. A dry-wet-dry interdecadal variation pattern had been found from the 1960 s to the 2000 s. Since the 21 stcentury,an obvious trend toward drought can be observed in the whole basin,especially in the Xijiang subbasin,which,consequently,poses an increasing challenge for the water resource planning and management.

Applied research of landscape ecology in desertification monitoring and assessment

A preliminary research on landscape ecology in desertification monitoring and assessment was reported. Also, this paper laid stress on the study of landscape diversity, dominance, evenness and Markov Matrix model and their respective landscape ecological meanings in the desertification monitoring and assessment. Concurrently, it took Shazhuyu Experimental Area, Qinghai Province as a specific case study.

Russia and China Signed a Statement on a Joint GNSS Monitoring and Assessment Service

At the recent,4th meeting of the Chinese-Russian Committee on Important Projects of Strategic Cooperation in the field of Satellite Navigation held in St.Petersburg,Russia.The China Academy of Aerospace Electronics Technology and FSUE Ts NIIMASS,the main research institute of Roscosmos State Corporation signed a statement on a new joint GNSS monitoring

REVIEW OF RESEARCH ON DISASTER MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT AT LREIS AND DGIS

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Effects of an ecological conservation and restoration project in the Three-River Source Region, China

The first-stage of an ecological conservation and restoration project in the Three-River Source Region（TRSR）, China, has been in progress for eight years. However, because the ecological effects of this project remain unknown, decision making for future project implementation is hindered. Thus, in this study, we developed an index system to evaluate the effects of the ecological restoration project, by integrating field observations, remote sensing, and process-based models. Effects were assessed using trend analyses of ecosystem structures and services. Results showed positive trends in the TRSR since the beginning of the project, but not yet a return to the optima of the 1970 s. Specifically, while continued degradation in grassland has been initially contained, results are still far from the desired objective, ‘grassland coverage increasing by an average of 20%–40%＇. In contrast, wetlands and water bodies have generally been restored, while the water conservation and water supply capacity of watersheds have increased. Indeed, the volume of water conservation achieved in the project meets the objective of a 1.32 billion m^3 increase. The effects of ecological restoration inside project regions was more significant than outside, and, in addition to climate change projects, we concluded that the implementation of ecological conservation and restoration projects has substantially contributed to vegetation restoration. Nevertheless, the degradation of grasslands has not been fundamentally reversed, and to date the project has not prevented increasing soil erosion. In sum, the effects and challenges of this first-stage project highlight the necessity of continuous and long-term ecosystem conservation efforts in this region.

Ecology of industrial pollution in China

Industrial development has brought China both opportunities and challenges since the reform and opening up in 1978.Spatial and temporal analysis showed that rapid industrialization has made eastern China under a more serious pollution stress.The most serious effects of industrial pollution were reflected in aquatic and soil ecosystem degradation,and damage can be observed from species,population,and community to ecosystem level.Public consciousness about contaminated sites rose from 2004 leading to greater efforts in ecological remediation,monitoring,and risk governance.Considerable efforts are still needed in expanding the extent and breadth of monitoring to explore where the greatest ecological risks lie and how to control them.Ecology of industrial pollution has become a popular discipline in China and will be further developed to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.Future research for a better ecological risk management should be focused on multi-media transfer and effects of mixed pollutants,mechanisms for clean energy and material flow,and integration of ecological risk with human health risk.

Chemicals of Emerging Arctic Concern:Preface

1.Preface The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme(AMAP)was established as an international program for monitoring and assessing Arctic pollution in 1991,under the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy[1].AMAP is now aWorking Group of the Arctic Council(http://www.arctic-council.org)responsible for monitoring and assessing a range of pollution-and climate change-related issues in the Arctic in order to“provide reliable and sufficient information on the status of,and threats to,the Arctic environment,and scientific advice on actions to be taken in order to support Arctic governments in their efforts to take remedial and preventive actions relating to contaminants and adverse effects of climate change”(see Ref.[2]).